Laughing Gull

The Newsletter of the St. Lucie Audubon Society

VVlP.VoVO. Box 12474, Fort Pierce FL 34979 P.O. Box 12474, Fort Pierce FL 34979 P.O. Box 12474, Fort Pierce
Volume 31 Issue #5 P.O. Box 12474, Fort Pierce, FL 34979 February 2007
FL 34979

Welcome to new President’s Message Calendar of Events

members! By Al Parmentier February Meeting:
Thursday, February 1st at 7 p.m.
Arletta Kaler Greetings from your president - Africa presented by Larry & Holly Tetzloff.
Tina VanCamp Well, as of January 15th the daffodils and
forsythia have already bloomed in New York City!
Patricia Siler February Field Trip:
Ann Vogel What is going to happen to these plants if they
experience a hard freeze? If this keeps up, there Saturday, February 3rd
Catherine Barnes
won’t be any reason for people in the north to Bluefield Ranch in western St. Lucie County (see
Thomas Furtado
come to Florida for the winter. That would cause back page for details).
Linnette Yakinchuk
Rose McKenna a crazy economic situation…
Henry Karson In the same vein, I have heard of a spe-
John Ross cies of bird that migrates to Scandinavia to repro- Other events of interest
duce. The timing of the migration and hatching
Patricia Fuller “Wake Up Call” Lecture Series
William Harold of chicks coincides with the appearance of a spe-
Saturday, February 3rd;
James Betzhold cific insect which the birds use to feed the chicks.
Guess what – the warming trend has caused the 11 am @ Oxbow Eco-Center:
Margaret Mills
insects to arrive two weeks early, drastically re- Green Communities and Wildlife
ducing the food supply.
On the good side, GM has reintroduced
Residential developments have a huge
an electric car, the Volt, which is similar to the
impact on natural resources and wildlife.
totally electric EV1 (introduced and eliminated in
Sustainable or "green" communities are
the early 2000’s – check out the excellent film
being built throughout the United States
Who Killed the Electric Car?). This new model
with the goals of conserving wildlife
has a small gasoline motor that will start and re-
habitat, creating healthy lifestyles, and
charge the batteries when they run down. I’m
promoting a sense of community. Buzz-
going to visit a dealer and get more information.
Get your words like sustainability, smart growth,
January’s speaker on Whooping Cranes
Laughing Gull low impact development, and conserva-
was great. I think it is the first time we have had
tion subdivisions are becoming more
by email anyone speak in costume. Once the chicks have
common place in the media and in town
hatched in captivity, the people who feed them
meetings.
Do the “Green wear a large white garment with a whooping
Thing” and help our crane beak on one arm. Quite a sight, but it
Come learn how homeowners, develop-
chapter save printing works to prevent bonding with humans.
ers and policymakers are becoming en-
and mailing costs by From the quality and quantity of this sea-
gaged in going green and creating sus-
getting your newslet- son’s speakers and attendance at activities, it is
tainable communities with a presenta-
ter by email. No apparent that many good people are dedicated to
tion by Mark Hostetler, Saturday, Febru-
special program is animal conservation in our area. That to all of
ary 3rd at 11:00 am.
needed to open it, you for your involvement. See you at upcoming
and you can print it events. Al Parmentier Dr. Hostetler, an Associate Professor of
out if you prefer to the Department of Wildlife Ecology &
read if offline. Conservation at the University of Flor-
Send your name and Meeting Place Location: ida, conducts research on how small
email address to Oxbow Eco-Center and large scale urban landscape de-
flbird40@bellsouth. 5400 NE St. James Dr., Port St. Lucie, FL 34983 signs affect wildlife distributions and has
net to sign up. (772) 785-5833 over fifteen years of experience in urban
1.7 miles south of Midway Rd. and 1.8 miles north of Airoso wildlife issues and growth management.
Blvd on St. James Dr. (S. 25th St.)
Page 2
Conservation Corner
By Harold Phillips
Gopher Tortoises — Our chapter is making
great progress in bringing about a Gopher Tor-
toise Rescue and Relocation Alliance in St.
Lucie County. We have now received pledges
of support from several conservation organiza-
tions. These include the Humane Society of
Vero Beach, a local Office of the Society for
Prevention of Cruelty to animals, Pelican Is-
land Audubon, the Savannahs Preserve and the
Oxbow Eco-Center, along with the St. Lucie
County Environmental Protection Department.
Others will help us by being a listening and
viewing outpost and will alert us when they
become aware of gopher tortoises that are at
risk by new development over their burrows.
The very first rescue took place in December in
Vero Beach and was carried out by the Vero
Beach Humane Society. We were invited to be
present at the release of 29 gopher tortoises to
their new home. It was a very successful res-
cue and undoubtedly saved the lives of at least
15 gopher tortoises that would have been bur-
ied and asphyxiated had it not been for their
efforts and the cooperation received from the
Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC). As
relocated gopher tortoise have to be corralled
for between six and twelve months by a silt
fence, along with other materials and expenses
necessary for each rescue, we would like to ap-
peal to you now for donations to help us get
started with saving this threatened species as
soon as possible. Please help us with this
meaningful and worthwhile cause, thank you.
Please send contributions
for Gopher Tortoise to
St. Lucie Audubon Society GT,
P O Box 12474
Fort Pierce, Fl 34979
V o l u m e 3 1 Is s ue # 5
Plasma Arc Gasification — At one of our future
members meetings we will have an interesting pres-
entation to explain how the plasma arc gasification
process will work and eventually eliminate the St.
Lucie County landfill as well as consuming the 1800
tons a day that is collected and delivered at the land-
fill. The program will explain just how the process
works, how it was discovered from a project that
was working on the heat shield of the shuttle for re-
entry into the earth’s atmosphere. We will hear
about the chimney stack emissions and we will leave
it to you to ask pertinent questions to determine if
this is a relatively clean project and that it does not
present similar problems to a coal burning power
plant. At this time we believe that the advance in
technology is able to meet our concerns about haz-
ardous emissions. It is anticipated that by conserv-
ing the heat that will arise as a result of burning the
refuse with large arc torches, enough electricity will
be generated to run the plant and also supply elec-
tricity to the national grid. St. Lucie County Com-
missioners will be meeting soon and hope to enter
into a contract early in 2007. It would be the largest
waste disposal plant of its kind in the United States.
Green China — Do you know who is the seventh
richest person in China? It is Shi Zhengrong, rated
by Forbes magazine to have a net worth of 1.43 bil-
lion. Now that you know his name do you know
why he is so wealthy? No he did not open a chain
of McDonalds in China!
Shi is China’s leading maker of silicon photovoltaic
solar cells. The seventh richest man in China is a
green entrepreneur! Shi thinks that renewable green
power like wind, solar, and bio-fuels is going to be
the growth industry of the 21st Century with his
Company Suntech Power Corporation is well placed
to take a leading position. Shi understands that
China is going to have to go green. Its rivers and air
are becoming polluted and China is now setting high
standards for pollution control. Much of their busi-
ness today is abroad, but as he sells more and brings
the price down the Chinese market will open up and
this may drive down the price of solar modules still
further.
2
 Page 3
Guest columnist
By Nathaniel P. Reed
January 11, 2007
Florida can't wait for
federal funding to act
The near collapse of the Hoover Dike, the need to
keep a far lower lake stage to avoid a repeat of the
New Orleans disaster puts Stuart and Martin County
along with our friends at the Gulf end of the Caloosa-
hatchee River in the unenviable position of having our
rivers continued to be used as sewers.
The current situation is intolerable and the excuses for
inaction are equally intolerable.
Advertisement
The governor and the Florida Legislature must face the
problem that federal dollars are going to be in short
supply for many years, as the total expenses of the
Afghan-Iraqi wars threaten the financial stability of our
country.
We cannot wait indefinitely for federal funding to face
up to major Florida environmental crises even if unin-
formed actions of the Army Corps of Engineers and
South Florida Water Management District are the
cause of many of our local and South Florida problems.
I call your attention to the clear violations of the fed-
eral and state water quality acts. It is an environ-
mental crime to discharge billions of gallons of polluted
water down Lake Okeechobee's two outlets after seri-
ous miscalculations by the District and the Corps al-
lowed the lake to become overfilled with rainwater and
runoff.
The problems are great, but we have suffered through
40 years of studies, commissions, hand wringing and
little action. I know from firsthand experience that
several of the so-called Lake Okeechobee Study Com-
mittees were "stacked" and rendered meaningless re-
ports designed to stall any and all effective corrective
measures. Clearly, the solution not only to the gross
pollution problems that have engulfed the St. Lucie
and Caloosahatchee Rivers are:
The continuing pollution loads in the Okeechobee wa-
tershed must be become a priority for Department of
Environmental Protection, Department of
V o l u m e 3 1 I s s ue #5
Agriculture and Consumer Services, SFWMD and Depart-
ment of Community Affairs. The buck has been passed
back and forth. The failure of the state to come to grips
with the tidal wave of phosphorus that threatens Lake
Okeechobee with a Lake Apopka future is real. The time
clock is ticking! I suggest the appointment of a highly
competent, concerned individual, in the governor's office,
enjoying both the governor's and the Legislature’s confi-
dence and support is the only way that the often conflict-
ing views of the concerned agencies will ever be united in
the common cause of significantly reducing the phospho-
rus loads entering Lake Okeechobee.
Storage.
If the lake must be managed at a lower level, then up-
stream and Everglades Agricultural Area storage must
compensate for the loss of lake storage. It's as simple as
that, but the District, DEP and the Corps have dragged
their collective feet studying to death and failing to ac-
cept the fact that with a forced lower lake schedule,
thousands of acre-feet of water must be stored or it will
inevitably have to be released to the Atlantic and Gulf
through the two blighted rivers.
Why can't the state examine the benefits of a third outlet
and major reservoirs systems in the Everglades Agricul-
tural Areas?
Ask yourselves: Are you willing to heed the commands of
Big Sugar and ignore the stark fact of life that Okeecho-
bee's excess water went and still goes south?
Yes, a third outlet and surface reservoirs will take up
considerable amounts of land in the Everglades Agricul-
tural Area, but the options are limited. If you comply with
Big Sugar's intentions of blocking any consideration of a
third outlet, then you turn your backs on your far more
numerous coastal constituents who demand relief.
My final plea: Become aware of the opportunities of re-
watering Florida Bay by recreating natural flows in the C-
111 basin in south Dade County. Rarely has an opportu-
nity of such magnitude been available for everglades res-
toration.
I urge you to understand the opportunity, and ignore the
expense of acquiring the needed land — move this pro-
ject ahead. It is an opportunity that comes rarely to a
member of the South Florida delegation.
Reed is a businessman and conservationist whose family
founded Jupiter Island. He formerly served on the
SFWMD board.
3
 V o l u m e 3 1 Is s ue # 5
Page 4

2006-2007 Chapter Officers & Committee Chairs

Environmentalist @ Home
President Al Parmentier 489-6176
alparm@comcast.net by Gale Parmentier
Vice President Liz Dunleavy 489-9050 Shade Grown Coffee
DunZippy@aol.com This month’s suggestion comes from
Recording Terri Brown unlisted Terri Brown, our hard working Secretary and
Secretary Tmlbrown761@ Education Chair.
Education Chair bellsouth.net The delicious shade grown and organic
Corresponding Gale Parmentier 489-6176 coffees served at Oxbow have introduced us all
Secretary force8gale@comcast.net to the concept that we can support the Earth
with our purchases and enjoy good taste too.
Treasurer Richard Prince 466-1733 Terri recommends The Roasted Bean, a Micro-
Derap@bellouth.net
Roastery located in south Florida, where you
Publicity Chair Misty Alderman can purchase flavored shade grown, organic,
Bird Education AldermaM@stlucieco.gov and fair trade coffees. In fact, the brochure lists
Classes forty-nine flavors plus the option to create your
own flavor combination!
Membership Dotty Hull 340-2226 There are three stores in Davie, Wes-
Chair flbird40@bellsouth.net ton, and Pembroke Pines. More conveniently
from the Treasure Coast, you can visit
Field Trip Chair Hank Hull 340-2226 www.theroastedbean.com, send an e-mail
HankHull@hotmail.com message to sales@theroastedbean.com or call
888-294-8886 for mail orders.
Program Chairs Grace Stock 871-2882 Everyone is welcome to contribute sug-
Liz Dunleavy 489-9050 gestions for environmentally appropriate activi-
ties or purchases. Contact Gale Parmentier at
Conservation Harold Phillips 879-2669 force8gale@comcast.net or call 772-489-6176.
Chair kiwihowick@adelphia.net
Newsletter Veronica Berrones 785-5833
Editors Daniela Zarate Membership Renewals
Newsletter Nettie Brolman 461-3658 Chapter memberships extend from October through
Distributor May. Chapter members may use the coupon below to
renew membership for 2007.
Directors at large Bob Carey 879-7488
Mary Lou Hughes 464-2489 Please mark RENEW on your check.
Hank Hull 340-2226

SLAS is now offering a Chapter-only annual mem-

Mark Your Calendars
NOTE: the February 11th Birding Breakfast
at the Adam's Ranch has been sold out!!!
February 24th
Painted & Indigo Bunting Trip
$5 per person - Reservations 340-2226
bership option for those who want to financially sup-
port their local chapter. The annual cost is only $15
per year, which includes a monthly subscription to
our “Laughing Gull” newsletter. Please make checks
payable and send to:
St. Lucie Audubon Society
P.O. Box 12474, Ft. Pierce, FL 34979
Name___________________________________________
Address__________________________________________
City_____________________________________________
State__________ Zip_______________________________
Phone___________________________________________
Email___________________________________________

4
Page 5
NatureFest 2007
At the Manatee Center
Saturday, February 24 * 10 am—4pm
Join the Manatee Observation and Education
Center for its 11th Annual Outdoor / Nature Ap-
preciation Event. The day’s activities include
kayak demonstrations, photography, exhibitors,
food, and more. Call 772-466-1600 ext 3071 for
more information.
The Brilliance of Birds Exhibit
The Society of the Four Arts will unveil a 40-year
body of work from the world's foremost bird sculp-
tor on February 17, 2007 entitled "The Brilliance of
Birds: The Sculpture of Grainger McKoy". The ex-
hibition features more than 40 major sculptures
representing individual birds, flocks of birds in
flight, and individual feathers in extreme detail.
The exhibition will run from February 17 until April
14, 2007 at The Society of the Four Arts. The gal-
lery is located at 2 Four Arts Plaza in Palm Beach
and is open Monday through Saturday from 10 AM
to 5 PM and Sundays from 2 PM to 5 PM. Admis-
sion is $5 for non-members and free for members
and children 14 and younger. For additional infor-
mation, contact the gallery at (561) 655-7226.
Perhaps we could get a group to go together.
Call Dotty Hull at 340-2226 if interested.
PROJECT FEEDER WATCH
Project Feeder Watch needs your help to keep track of the birds at your feeders this winter. The project
runs through April 6, 2007. For more information, or to sign up go to www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/
V o l u m e 3 1 I s s ue #5
Feathered Friends
by Dotty & Hank Hull
Birds in America’s Great Backyard
America’s Great Backyard Bird Count will take
place on February 16 -19, 2007. Join with thou-
sand of others to find out how many birds are be-
ing seen in your area and across the continent
this winter. By participating in the Great Backyard
Bird Count, you help document where birds are,
and track changes in their numbers compared to
previous years, helping scientists paint a picture
of the state of birds this winter. For more informa-
tion, and to view results, go to
http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc. Internet access
is necessary to record the birds you see.
• No Fee or registration required
• All ages and skill levels welcome
• Track results in real time online
• Count in your backyard, balcony, schoolyard,
park, wildlife refuge
• Be a part of the network
Birdwatching River Cruise
Every Wednesday
@ 4 pm
$20 inc. tax
Cruise the North Fork of
the St. Lucie River on this
narrated sunset cruise.
Focus on birds and other
wildlife. A portion of proceeds goes to support St.
Lucie Audubon Society. Reservations required,
772-489-8344.
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President’s Message
February 1st Meeting
Calendar of Events An African Journey presented by Larry & Holly Tetzloff.
New Members
Page 1
February 3rd Field Trip
Conservation
Bluefield Ranch in western St. Lucie County located on S.R. 70 near the
Corner
Page 2 Okeechobee County line. A variety of natural habitats supports a diverse popu-
lation of wildlife and plant species. Steve Fousek, Environmental Lands Spe-
Officers
Membership Renewal cialist, will meet us there to lead us on the trail. Many birds species can usually
Environmentalist @ be seen driving west on S.R. 70 in the morning. This promises to be a very
Home
Page 4 special trip.
We will leave the Fort Pierce Home Depot on Okeechobee & Jenkins Rds. at
Feathered Friends
Page 5 7:30 a.m. from the NE parking lot, which is located just off Jenkins Rd.

BIRDING CLASSES
February 20th, Feb 27th and March 6th. Tuesday evening sessions from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm.
Field trips Saturdays following the class by St. Lucie Audubon.
Cost is only $30.
Classes will be held at Oxbow Eco-Center 5400 St. James Drive, Port St. Lucie, Fl 34983
For more details, call the Oxbow @ 785-5833.

Non-profit Organization

Laughing Gull U.S. POSTAGE

PAID
Fort Pierce, FL.
St. Lucie Audubon
Permit No. 442
P.O. Box 12474
Fort Pierce, FL 34979

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